5 Trends We Don’t Want to See Again

0
5166

Yes, vintage and retro fashion are all the rage today. But before we view the past with rose-tinted glasses, we should be reminded that there were some things we’d rather not wear again. Here are five examples:

  1. Nik Nik Shirts

Back in the 70s, these shirts epitomized cool on the disco dance floor. Made of shiny polyester and mostly worn by men (though later on there were women’s versions), these shirts were printed with colourful designs and patterns.

Sure, before you object, some Nik Nik shirt designs were quite nice. But today, most of these designs look dated—if not downright tacky. The polyester fabric also makes it hard for the average person to pull off well, as it tends to accentuate the belly regions. So yes, it’s time to switch into plainer pieces, especially those popular in Korean fashion for men, for a classier look.

  1. Big hair

We conducted an informal survey of people who lived through the 70s and 80s (aka our moms and dads), and this was the unanimous choice. There’s nothing that can be said for these hairstyles except that they look messy, frumpy, and dated. That, and you’ll probably end up harming the environment from the amount of Aqua-net you’ll have to on your hair just to get these looks.

  1. Shoulder pads

It’s true that the appearance of broad shoulders is sexy, whatever decade you’re in. However, if you need to use a lot of foam padding to achieve that look, then maybe it’s time to rethink your getup. While shoulder pads do have a purpose—they help create a shape for lightweight fabrics—the 1980s brought their use to a whole new level.

With large shoulder pads attached to blazers and shirts, some wearers end up sporting too-broad shoulders that make their heads look small and disproportionate to the rest of their body. That, or with the rise of decorative studs in that era, they come across more as sci-fi villain than corporate chic. So while they may make a comeback this time around, we hope they’re less jarring than their forerunners.

  1. XXXL shirts

The late 90s and the early 2000s weren’t immune from trends that we don’t want to see again. One of these trends is the extra-large shirts worn by, well, regular-sized men. Usually sporting designer logos or the emblems of a sports team, these shirts made their wearers look shapeless. We’d take Young Thug’s Gucci dress anytime over these. At least we see its proper fit.

  1. Low-crotch elephant jeans

If loose tops were once fashionable for men, the same could be said of loose jeans. But these weren’t made of gracefully flowing fabric. On the contrary, these are jeans that sag so low; guys end up exhibiting the upper half of their briefs or boxers to the general populace. They’re also a potential safety risk—there were stories about the frayed ends of these loose jeans getting caught in escalators.